A LITTLE MORE PROGRESS ON THE 26"

This weekend I managed to progress a little further on my TWENTY-SIX-INCH LUDWIG BLUE VISTALITE MARCHING BASS DRUM.*  This drum is very close to being finished but I am still waiting on the batter side head to be delivered.  I was hoping it would arrive in time to make this post but alas, it did not.

Now, just as a vivid reminder, THIS ----> photograph to the right illustrates just how far I have come with this restoration.  This bass drum was a certified "Piece of Crap" that I bought on Ebay for $99.00.  Yes, for one dollar less than a hundo I salvaged this junk drum that was being unloaded by a school band in Rolling Prairie, Indiana.  Little did anyone realize by the depressing photos posted for the auction that under all that chipped paint and rusty hardware was this absolutely beautiful Ludwig acrylic drum:

All of the white paint has been removed from the blue acrylic, and also the layers of black, white, red, gold, maroon and blue paint from the wooden hoops. Now I have sanded and smoothed the hoops and repainted them a standard black gloss color.  The white paint covering the Ludwig badge was removed without taking the logo with it, and this valuable item was re-installed with a new grommet.

The lugs were cleaned, polished and then returned to the shell, but the other hardware had to be replaced.  The "claws" and tension rods were in pretty bad shape, and at one time had been painted red.  Some patches of paint were still clinging to the rust.  Therefore, since such parts are still easy to obtain, I purchased twenty brand-new rods and claws.

As soon as I can, I will post photos of my completed work.  But, this being a Sunday, there's no chance the other head will come today.

*Sorry for the "all caps," but when you find a drum this awesome buried underneath such hopelessness, you can't help but want to shout it out!  It's a Percussionary Marvel!